Has this ever happened to you? You’re busy cleaning out your fridge and discover a brand new, unopened jar of pickle relish tucked in the back. Just when you’re about to think, “Score!” you notice it expired (gulp!) three months ago. Now what?

Should you really toss something that’s never been opened? What if something’s been opened but barely used? Is it still good?

Totally obvious toss-out situations aside (green fuzzy mold comes to mind), just how old is too old?

Couponers like myself are often buying things in bulk, and once in awhile there have been times when I’ve overshot it a bit and had some items not get used by their respective used-by date. During those moments, my husband always wanted me to toss the items right away, but I wanted to keep them longer and the debate would ensue. (Those were items I had worked hard to get for free or cheap with coupons!) So by doing a little bit of research, I was able to show him that it IS perfectly okay to hold onto and use items a little past the expiration date.

Here are the tips I’ve learned…

General Safety Rules & Guidelines

{Feel free to print out this list and keep it in your kitchen/pantry to reference.}

Now, assuming your fridge’s temperature is set between 38-40 degrees, the following rules apply per the USDA:

• Milk: Good for up to 1 week past the “Sell By” date.

• Eggs: Good for 3-5 weeks after purchase (provided you purchased them before the “Sell By” date, of course). Keep in mind that eggs should always be kept in their original container, not the plastic holders inside the refrigerator door! The plastic doesn’t allow eggs to breathe, which will cause them to spoil a whole lot faster.

• Condiments: These can be kept up to one full year in the fridge. The exceptions are: Mayonnaise, which should only be kept for two months—maximum—after opening and Salad dressings, which can be kept in the fridge up to three months after opening. Unopened salad dressing is good for up to one year past its expiration date.

• Meats & Poultry{It kind of goes without saying (but I’m going to say it anyway), perishables such as meat and poultry should be refrigerated right away or frozen for later use.}

If kept in the fridge, then the following rules apply:

• Poultry – 1 to 2 days
• Beef, pork, veal and lamb –3 to 5 days
• Ground meat or ground poultry –1 to 2 days
• Cured “cook before eating” ham –5 to 7 days
• Uncooked beef, pork or turkey sausage – 1 to 2 days

Frozen meats:

• Ground beef or ground poultry –3 months
• Whole chicken or turkey—one year
• Unopened bacon and lunchmeat—one month

Now let’s move on to pantry items, shall we?

• Grains purchased in boxes (think: rice, crackers, cereal) should be kept in air tight containers or plastic zipper bags for long-term storage. These babies are notorious breeding grounds for bugs and no one likes a bowl of weevils for breakfast! (Gag, shudder)

• Pastas—unopened and opened packages stored in air tight containers—will keep up to one year.

• Egg Noodles—1 to 2 months after opening.

• Rice—up to one year after opening (provided the moisture is kept out)

• Ground Spices—between 6 to 12 months.

• Whole Herbs/Spices—up to 2 years. You should always keep spices in glass containers—never those cute wooden boxes as they create a potential “critter fiesta”!

• Canned goods— good for up to 2 years after the manufacturing date. Rusty, bulging, dented or otherwise damaged cans should never be used.

And there you have it, folks! The official guidelines for expired food safety! Hooray!

Now, just because the food is safe to eat doesn’t necessarily mean that it will taste as fresh as it would when you first opened it. Rule of thumb—if it tastes or smells bad, toss it out!

In closing, I realize that not everyone is keen on eating food past its expiration (as a matter of fact, some of you may be cringing right now at the thought!). However, you should never feel as though you have to throw something out simply because it’s “expired” and waste your hard-earned money. **

{Word of caution: to avoid potentially serious risk or illness, it is highly advised that children, pregnant women, the elderly and sick/ill individuals who may otherwise be susceptible to food-borne illness avoid consuming expired food completely.}

So, do you typically toss out expired food or hang onto it for awhile past the use-by date?

References:
USDA Food Product Dating